While palpitations are often harmless, they can sometimes indicate a more serious underlying issue. Palpitations are sensations that feel like your heart is beating too hard, too fast, fluttering, or skipping beats. It is that feeling when your ticker seems to go into overdrive, thumping harder or faster than usual, or even doing a little dance routine in your chest. Sometimes it feels like it is fluttering around like a butterfly caught in there,...

  Uncontrolled hypertension can affect several parts of the body including the heart, kidneys and even the eyes. Blood pressure (BP) is the force of blood pushing against the walls of your arteries. It is measured in two numbers: systolic and diastolic. Systolic pressure is the force of blood pushing against the walls of your arteries when your heart beats. Diastolic pressure is the force of blood pushing against the walls of your arteries when...

  How much of a recovery the heart makes depends on the extent of damage and how diligently the person follows the various steps of the cardiac rehab program. The perfect candidate for Cardiac Rehabilitation is anyone with a history of heart issues such as angina, heart attack, or heart failure or if you have undergone any cardiovascular procedures such as angioplasty, heart or lung transplant, heart valve repair or bypass surgery. As the term...

  Those recovering from a heart failure must gradually include low impact workouts under medical supervision in order to strengthen their heart Leading an active life will keep you healthy and your heart happy. It helps you balance your weight and prevents arterial damage caused by high cholesterol, high blood sugar and high blood pressure. However, some studies show that exercising too much can burden your heart and impair its functioning in the long run....

  Heavy smoking, alcohol use, excess caffeine or other stimulants, stress, thyroid disease, and fever can result in the heart beating abnormally. Arrhythmia is a condition when the heart beats out of rhythm. Here's everything you need to know about the condition.   NORMAL RHYTHM vs ABNORMAL RHYTHM.   Everyone's heart beats at a set pace. This pace is in keeping with whatever activity the body is doing. Of course, when one goes through extreme...

  Obesity, Smoking, High salt diet, lack of exercise, alcohol consumption, irregular sleep patterns and a family history of High BP increases risks for high blood pressure. Q:WHAT IS BLOOD PRESSURE?   Dr:The heart is constantly pumping blood to the whole of the body. The force with which the heart pumps blood is what we call Blood Pressure. When we measure blood pressure, we are factoring in two types of BP - Systolic Pressure and...

  Being diagnosed with heart disease or undergoing heart surgery and then subsequently adopting a number of lifestyle changes is often stressful on the patient. Cardiac rehab will also help the individual to cope better. For individuals who have suffered a heart attack or any cardiovascular disease, Cardiac Rehabilitation will prove immensely beneficial to improve heart health and function. Like any rehabilitation program Cardiac Rehab is also a lengthy process that needs dedication and commitment...

  It has been found that a man's coping mechanism in the face of stressful events is less adaptive, increasing their risk for heart disease. That being said, fewer women than men survive their first heart attack. There are some conditions that only affect men, and some that impact only women. Heart disease is not a gender specific condition. Worldwide, millions of people are diagnosed with heart disease irrespective of gender. The difference lies in...

  If you notice someone clutching their chest or breathing heavily, or if they drop to the floor unconscious, it's most likely that they have had a sudden cardiac arrest. Sudden Cardiac Arrest as the name suggests, happens quite suddenly giving the person little time to even call for help. However, if you are alert to changes in your body, you just might be able to recognise the signs and help yourself. Timing is everything....

  Unfortunately most patients with atherosclerosis don't even know they have it until the atheroma causes a heart attack or a stroke. This makes it important to check with your primary health provider about being screened for the condition.   Q:WHAT IS AN ATHEROMA?   Ans:The build-up of plaque in arteries is called atheroma. Fat, cholesterol, calcium, connective tissue, and inflammatory cells are amongst the materials that deposit inside arteries and over time form an...